New Council Member: Don Mclaughlin

As a graduate of the machine tool technology at Crowder College, Don Mclaughlin is interested in technical thing.

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By John Hacker

The Carthage Press

By John Hacker

Posted Feb. 22, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2012 at 6:43 PM

By John Hacker

Posted Feb. 22, 2012 at 12:01 AM
Updated Jul 24, 2012 at 6:43 PM

CARTHAGE, Mo.

As a graduate of the machine tool technology at Crowder College, Don Mclaughlin is interested in technical thing.

As a city council member, he said he’ll be taking a special interest in things like the Carthage Water & Electric Plant, the wastewater treatment system and making things more efficient.

“I’m really for Carthage Water and Electric, they need to make room for the future and expansion, but I firmly believe that now is the time to do something about that,” Mclaughlin said in an interview with The Carthage Press on Tuesday before taking the oath of office for council. “I know the waste water department has seen some challenges recently and I know they’ve got a lot of equipment that’s really getting dated and there again, that equipment they use costs a lot of money, but it’s only going to cost twice as much in the future.”

Mclaughlin, 40, 725 Olive St., is a native of Neosho and a graduate of Neosho High School.

He said he moved to Carthage about 15 years ago.

“I had actually just bought a house and I started renting it out,” Mclaughlin said. “Then the renters moved out and then I moved in.”

Mclaughlin is self-employed and operates three different businesses, but he decided he had enough spare time to devote to the city council.

Mayor Harris appointed Mclaughlin to the Finance and Personnel Administration Committee and the Public Safety Committee.

He will also serve for now as council liaison to the Civil War Museum board.

Those appointments may change after the elections on April 3, when four other council seats will be decided.

Mclaughlin said he hopes to be able to address what he says are odors still emanating from the Renewable Environmental Solutions plant, which started operating last year using new sources of material other than turkey offal to make fuel oil.

He’s also looking forward to taking part in the process of creating a city budget for the fiscal year 2012-2013.

A lot of people are not going to be happy with me, I’m a real tightwad,” Mclaughlin said. “I would just like to help ensure that the people’s funds are spent properly. I don’t know, maybe I can make a difference there.”